What is Your Authority?

This past month I had the wonderful privilege to walk through and teach on the Doctrine of Scripture. This was a great time of learning and worship. At times the study felt very information heavy and I’m sure the teens could feel that weight at times also. However, the basis for the study is still resonating in my mind, “What is your authority?”

What is Your Authority?

The Bible is unlike any other written document:

• the Bible documents have withstood the most scrutinizing analysis ever imposed upon any manuscript and have emerged with compelling authenticity and authority.
• No other ancient literature demonstrates such a high degree of accuracy
• The power of the Bible is evident… remember the Word of God is alive, it is not just Words on a paper…it impacts life, like nothing else…through the Spirit of God, the Bible changes lives completely.

This Crazy World

With news headlines including terrorism, citizen/police brutality, homosexual policies, reality TV star scandals, and transgender acceptance–we are a society that has drifted quickly away from any moral point of reference.

This is no new thing for mankind, however. In Matthew 11 the heart of our herd-like instinct is revealed. When John the Baptist shared his message, the people didn’t like it because it was too strict. But when Jesus came onto the scene the people hated His message because He was too accepting. Here is the reality, anything that challenges the way people live has often, if not always, been met with rejection.

With a society (as far as America goes) that seems to be slipping into a moral-ditching, sin-lusting trend it can make true followers of Christ feel like the odd man out. And we are! We are facing a society in which being “Christian” isn’t normal. If we are going to stand for what the truths of Scripture actually upholds, then we will face ridicule and persecution in a variety of forms.

So how do I talk with those I care for, about God and the Bible?

Talk it Through

It is our job as followers of Christ to:

• Proclaim the Word of God
• Stand for the Word of God
• Live out the Word of God

“Our job is not to run from and isolate ourselves from our culture, as some do–it is our job to boldly face it, and like Jesus, be different with the goal of sharing true hope, that is, the Gospel.”

The women Jesus met at the well in Samaria had been living her life running to empty wells that would not fulfill. And Jesus led her to the well that is only found in a relationship with God.

Get to know the person so that you can help take them from their empty well, and lead them to what will last for all eternity.

Start a conversation that will point to God and the Bible:
What are their fears? (Does God have an answer?)
What misconceptions (false-views) do they have of God and the Bible? (Can you clarify from Biblical examples?)
How has God shown Himself evident in your own life? (Share it!)